Bush gives nod for inquiry into war intelligence

US President George Bush has agreed to support an independent inquiry into the prewar intelligence he used to claim Iraq's Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.

Sources said the shift by the White House, which had previously maintained that any inquiry should wait until a more exhaustive weapons search has been completed, came after pressure from congressmen in both the Republican and Democratic parties and the former chief US weapons inspector in Iraq.

There was no official confirmation from the White House at the weekend, but Administration sources said Mr Bush's announcement of support for an independent commission was imminent.

Mr Bush's shift represents an effort to get in front of a dangerous issue that threatens to cloud his re-election bid.

An independent commission might not absolve Mr Bush politically, congressional officials said, but it could quiet the furore and delay calls for top-level resignations at the CIA and elsewhere until after the elections.

David Kay, who resigned recently as chief US weapons inspector, testified on Wednesday that "we were almost all wrong" about Iraq's weapons programs. He said it was unlikely that stockpiles would be found in Iraq.

Republican senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said on Saturday that convening a blue-ribbon panel was important, because "we're in danger now of seeing the politicisation of the whole intelligence issue".

He said that the panel would have to be bipartisan and include only recognised experts, who could quickly tackle the issue of how to fix intelligence deficiencies. "It would be helpful not only politically, but also for the nation."

Though some in the White House favour a frank admission that the intelligence was wrong, Mr Bush and his aides have so far concluded that would only increase the pressure on them.

By agreeing to the formation of a commission Mr Bush should have more leverage to keep the focus on the CIA and other intelligence agencies rather than on the White House.

In Britain, two opinion polls published yesterday showed that most Britons want an independent inquiry into prewar intelligence cited by the Government of Tony Blair to justify backing the US-led invasion of Iraq.

The polls published in The Mail on Sunday and the Sunday Times showed 61 per cent and 54 per cent respectively in favour of an investigation.

Close associates of the Prime Minister are reportedly concerned that Britain will be hung out to dry by Washington over the weapons issue. An unnamed ally told yesterday's The Independent: "There have been signs of a diversion strategy in Washington. This is a real problem for Blair."